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Phandelver: Phandalin
The frontier town of Phandalin is built on the ruins of a much older settlement. Hundreds of years ago, the old Phandalin was a thriving human town whose people were firmly allied with the dwarves and gnomes of the Phandelver's Pact. However, the same ore horde that sacked the mines at Wave Echo Cave laid waste to the settlement, and Phandalin was abandoned for centuries. In the last three or four years, hardy settlers from the cities of Neverwinter and Waterdeep have begun the hard work of reclaiming the ruins of Phandalin. A bustling frontier settlement has grown up on the site of the old town, and is home now to farmers, woodcutters, fur traders, and prospectors drawn by stories of gold and platinum in the foothills of the Sword Mountains. Unfortunately, more than a few bandits and brigands have settled here as well, taking advantage of the fact that the area has no local lord or authority to chase them off. A gang known as the Redbrands has controlled Phandalin for the past two months, extorting and bullying everyone in town. The gang is led by a mysterious figure known to the townsfolk as Glasstaff. When the characters first arrive in Phandalin, read. The rutted track emerges from a wooded hillside, and you catch your first glimpse of Phandalin. The town consists of forty or fifty simple log buildings, some built on old fieldstone foundations. More old ruins-crumbling stone walls covered in ivy and briars-surround the newer houses and shops, showing how this must have been a much larger town in centuries past. Most of the newer buildings are set on the sides of the cart track, which widens into a muddy main street of sorts as it climbs toward a ruined manor house on a hillside at the east side of town. As you approach, you see children playing on the town green and townsfolk tending to chores or running errands at shops. Many people look up as you approach, but all return to their business as you go by. If Sildar Hallwinter is with the party, add: Sildar seems much more at ease. "My friends," he says, "let us secure lodgings. I'm told the local inn is very quaint." Sildar's plan is to get some rest at the Stonehill Inn, then search Phandalin for signs of the missing wizard, Iarno Albrek. When his investigation hits a dead end, he sets up a meeting with Townmaster Harbin Wester (see the "Town master's Hall" section). During this part of the adventure, the characters can visit the various locations in Phandalin and talk to the NPCs there. (See the "Town Description"section for details.) The town is small enough that it takes only a few minutes to stroll from one end to the other. However, the characters arrive late in the day and can't get to more than one or two locations before it's time to seek lodgings for the night. Some locales the characters should visit include the following: Barthen's Provisions. If the characters have the wagonload of supplies from the "Meet Me in Phandalin" adventure hook, they are meant to deliver it to this shop. . Lionshield Coster. If the characters retrieved the stolen goods from the Cragmaw hideout, they might want to return them to the rightful owner. Stonehill Inn. If the characters have Sildar Hallwinter with them, the knight suggests heading for this inn to find lodgings. If the characters are otherwise looking for a place to eat and sleep, they discover that the Stonehill appears to be the best available option. Encounters In Phandalin When the characters explore Phandalin, you don't need to keep track of how much time is spent at each location. Instead, imagine that you're directing an old-style western movie. Your goal is to present several scenes in which the adventurers walk into a store or saloon and meet the people there. By interacting with these NPCs, the adventurers learn what the NPCs need or what information they want to share, then can move on to the next location. These scenes are a series of roleplaying encounters that take place over the course of a couple of days of game time. To begin, ask the players where they want to go and what they want to do in town. For example, you could tell them, "There's an inn, a town hall, a shrine, general stores and trading posts, and a few other homes and businesses. Where do you want to go?" When the players pick a spot, refer to the description in the following section, illt~ the NPCs there, and let the interaction begin. The Stonehill Inn. If the players aren't sure what their characters should do, encourage them to begin at the Stonehill Inn. The NPCs there are "pointers" who can direct the characters toward the various adventure opportunities and important rumors that can be found in other parts of the town. By visiting the inn, the characters learn what other places they should visit. Redbrand Ruffians. Sooner or later, the adventurers run into the thugs who run Phandalin. All you need to do is choose when the ruffians appear. After the characters have had a chance to visit several locations in town and talk to the townsfolk, they might decide to go looking for the Redbrands. When they do, run the "Red brand Ruffians" encounter. Alternatively, if the characters are reluctant to seek out the ruffians, the Redbrands can come looking for them at a time of your choosing. Finding Cregmaw Castle. The characters might want to seek out Cragmaw Castle to find and rescue Gundren Rockseeker. Most of the townsfolk are preoccupied with the Redbrands, and no one in town knows the location of Cragmaw Castle. Qelline Alderleaf, Sildar Hallwinter, and Halia Thornton can offer suggestions on how the party might find someone who knows the location. More info is provided in the Phandalin page.